What are the causes of nail biting?

Dr. Yekaterina Demyanovskaya announced that the need to bite nails, pencils, or other things may be a sign indicating physical and psychological abnormalities.

And she says in an interview with the newspaper "Izvestia", explaining: "This habit often appears when the function of the temporomandibular joint, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anemia caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12."

And she adds, that the dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, in addition to the desire to chew pens and pencils, appears a desire to chew the tongue and bruxism - bruxism occurs at night or when a person is distracted and thinks about something, as a person tries with the help of these processes to relax tense chewing muscles and reduce discomfort in the temporomandibular joint area.

According to her, the dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint can be detected by standing in front of the mirror and opening the mouth well, as the person will see the lower jaw not moving completely straight, but rather moving sideways. The dentist can solve this problem by prescribing a dental protector and practicing special exercises.

Another common habit is the urge to bite nails. This habit is often considered a type of tic. It is rarely a manifestation of obsessive-compulsive disorder. As a rule, this habit is observed in people suffering from mental disorders, high stress levels, and social maladjustment. Nail biting usually develops in childhood and in most cases disappears with age.

And the doctor adds, she did not fully specify the nature of this habit. According to studies, there are 36-63 percent of cases of family causes, but only a quarter of those who suffer from this problem see doctors.

According to her, the habit of gnawing chalk, coal, sand and ice may be a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. This can be determined with the help of laboratory diagnostics. In addition, a general blood test should be performed to determine the level of erythrocytes and hemoglobin, as well as the index of serum iron-transferrin binding.